What is Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (cotrimoxazole)?
Category: Prescription Drugs
Most popular types: Bactrim Bactrim DS Septra Show all
Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, also known as SMX-TMP or cotrimoxazole, is a combination of sulfamethoxazole, an antibacterial sulfonamide, and trimethoprim. The combination eliminates bacteria that cause many kinds of infections, including pneumonia and urinary tract and intestinal infections.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prevent infection | 208 | 92 | |
| Urinary tract infection | 161 | 40 | |
| Sinus infection (sinusitis) | 120 | 11 | |
| Hidradenitis suppurativa | 55 | 1 | |
| Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus | 55 | 12 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 20 | |
| Moderate | 18 | |
| Mild | 44 | |
| None | 149 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (cotrimoxazole)
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 8 | |
| Diarrhea | 5 | |
| Abdominal cramps | 2 | |
| Anxious mood | 2 | |
| Fever | 2 | |
| Sensitivity to medications | 2 |
Why patients stopped taking Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (cotrimoxazole)
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Course of treatment ended | 167 | |
| Doctor's advice | 63 | |
| Side effects too severe | 32 | |
| Did not seem to work | 16 | |
| Other | 15 | |
| Personal research | 2 |
Duration
Stopped taking Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (cotrimoxazole)
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 119 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 56 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 32 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 23 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 12 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 6 | |
| 10 years or more | 3 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (cotrimoxazole) after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Cephalexin (Keflex) | 3 | |
| Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) | 2 | |
| Clarithromycin (Biaxin) | 2 | |
| Amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin) | 1 | |
| Azithromycin (Zithromax) | 1 |
Patients stopped taking Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (cotrimoxazole) and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Dapsone (DDS) (Aczone) | 3 | |
| Nitrofurantoin (Macrobid) | 3 | |
| Amoxicillin (Amoxil) | 2 | |
| Atovaquone (Mepron) | 2 | |
| Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) | 2 |
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